Gulf Coast Seafood Stew

Using minimum seasonings lets the fresh, light taste of the seafood shine. Jane praises fresh garlic. You can tell it's fresh if it does not have a growing green germ in the center. If you see the beginning of a sprout, pull it out and discard.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons  grapeseed or olive oil
• 1/4  cup  toasted unbleached all-purpose flour*
• 1 1/2  cups  sliced green onion
• 3  cups  coarsely chopped celery
• 1  pound  fresh or frozen okra, cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
• 2 1/2  cups  peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
• 5  cups  chicken, fish, or vegetable stock, heated
• 1 3/4  pounds  medium-size shrimp, peeled
• 1  (16-ounce) container fresh oysters
• 8  ounces  fresh crabmeat, drained and picked
• 1-2  tablespoons  chopped garlic
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large stainless-steel or enamel-coated pot over medium heat. Stir in toasted flour, blending well. Stir in green onions. (The flour will stick to the vegetables.) Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until onions wilt. Add the celery, okra, tomatoes, and heated stock, stirring until well blended. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Stir in shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat. Cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and oysters begin to curl. Stir in the garlic. Let stand 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

*To make toasted flour, spread 3/4 cup all-purpose flour in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, or until flour is light beige (it will darken when mixed with fat). Cool; process in a blender or food processor to remove any lumps. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container until ready to use.